Washington’s Aboriginal Legal Service says police arrests of teenagers in crime prevention program ‘totally unacceptable’

A West Australian indigenous leader says at-risk children have been “traumatized” after police arrested three teenage boys while they attended a program designed to keep them out of trouble.

Detectives visited the Wadjak Northside Aboriginal Community Center in Perth’s northern suburbs on Thursday and arrested three 16-year-old boys, charging them with a number of offences.

Washington State Aboriginal Legal Services (ALSWA) executive director Wayne Nunnapp said the arrests took place in front of children attending a federally funded program aimed at diverting children from the criminal justice system.

Mr Nunnapp told the ABC that up to a dozen police officers arrived at the Old Ways New Ways meeting to arrest the three boys.

He said the incident was “disturbing” and had caused distress and trauma to other participants and staff who attended.

“It’s just completely unacceptable to me on all levels when we’re trying to create a program that’s going to help the community and take kids away from the (justice) system and we have to deal with that, it’s just unbelievable,” he said. .

Mr Nunnapp said the police could have approached the case differently.

“It takes a lot of work to gain the trust of these kids and now we have to take three or four steps back again,” he said.

The boys are charged with theft

Police in Washington, D.C., said Friday morning that they have charged three boys with 20 crimes after investigating a series of burglaries in Perth over the past two months.

Two boys were charged with robbery and car theft, and the third was charged with attempted burglary.

Police did not say how many officers were present, but said body camera footage of the incident had been reviewed and “it is clear that the officers acted calmly and professionally.”

“No formal complaint has been received regarding this incident.”

Mr Nannap said that despite the alleged offences, it was neither the time nor the place to arrest the boys at the meeting.

“Some of the other young guys in the program were visibly upset,” he said.

“This is their experience now – they will just think how their peers or their brothers will be handcuffed.

“They need to feel safe to come into our program, and we felt that was significantly compromised.

“This program has failed, but we will continue to focus on it. Our little children need it.”

The boy was released from custody

One of the accused boys appeared in Perth Children’s Court on Friday and was released on bail after pleading guilty to several counts of burglary and aggravated theft.

The court heard the 16-year-old, from Ballajura, had been attending the Old Ways New Ways program for the past three weeks and was doing well.

Magistrate Stephen Vose told the court that in considering whether to release him from custody he had to weigh the need to protect society against the potential benefits of the boy remaining in the programme.

“If someone makes an effort, even if it’s late, it means a lot to me.

“There’s always hope, people can and do change…you’ve taken a few steps in the right direction.”

Magistrate Vose said that apart from the boy’s progress in the programme, he also took into account that the offenses did not involve violence.

He ordered the boy to continue with the diversion program and resist peer pressure to reoffend.

“If you have people in your life who drag you down … you have to keep your distance,” he said.

“Not an ideal situation”

Washington Premier Roger Cook said he had asked for more information about what happened.

“I understand that (the police) did not know about the circumstances of those people who gathered there, but I will continue the investigation and just find out what is happening here,” he said.

“I feel sorry for those young people who participated in that program.

“These programs are important because we know that diversion works … and we know that if we can get young people on a better path, they won’t be constantly coming into contact with our justice system.

“It’s not an ideal situation.”

The Old Ways New Ways program is described on its website as an “alternative youth diversion model to help change the youth detention landscape.”

It will “reach the young person and their family in a central environment, providing innovative, evidence-based and culturally safe services that will support young people and lead them on a path of healing from the criminal justice system.”

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